Colombia May Kill Dozens of Pablo Escobar's ‘Cocaine Hippos'-Here's Why

In the 1980s, Pablo Escobar imported several exotic animals to his estate, Hacienda Nápoles, including a small group of hippos. The famous narco-terrorist wanted to create a wildlife refuge.

Why Hippos Are a Problem

Hippos produce up to 13 pounds of poop each day, muddying the waters. Their presence can reduce oxygen levels in water, harming fish and other aquatic animals. They have no known predator and can live up to 50 years.



After Escobar was killed in 1993, the hippos escaped captivity and continued to live and thrive in the area, and reproduce. Scientists estimate that the numbers have increased to about 200.

Veterinarians have tried to control the population through sterilization, but quickly found that it was dangerous and expensive. Some locals want them left alone. When a hippo named Pepe was killed in 2009, public outrage ensued, according to reporting in USA Today, and a court-ordered ban was immediately put into place.

Escobar Wanted Prestige and Power

Smithsonian contributor Joshua Hammer was interviewed on the "There's More to That" podcast to explain why Escobar may have wanted them in the first place.

"Apparently, there were a couple of other drug lords in South America that he was emulating. There's something about this kind of criminality and these menageries; there's an association with power and prestige to have wild animals, to be the master of your own menagerie. This menagerie that he built up served another purpose, too, because he opened it up to the public."

After Escobar was killed, people stormed the ground, looking for money and weapons. Nobody from his 1,500 staff returned to care for the animals, many of whom were able to escape.

Safety Concerns

"I think there is this exaggerated threat about just how dangerous hippos are. I mean, you often see media reports of them being the most dangerous animal. I don't think that's necessarily true. I think that they can be aggressive. I think generally they're pretty gentle. It's sort of like, you leave me alone, I'll leave you alone.

But from what I understand, if you get pretty dense human populations and pretty dense hippo populations competing for the same territory-fishermen on the rivers and people settling the land along the rivers-and so you get a lot of opportunities for hippo-human clashes.

Last year in a schoolyard, one hippo just wandered in, and kids were scared, teachers running every which way. And if you're on a boat, they can come up underneath and drown you. They're not totally harmless animals."

Last year, large-animal veterinarians attempted surgical castration and had some success in about 10 male hippos. But, it's not nearly enough to control the population, which could reach 500 by the end of the decade.

Current Plan to Decrease the Surplus Population

This month, environmental minister Irene Velez Tores said that the government has agreed to euthanize up to 80 hippos because they are a current threat to the ecosystem. Without intervention, scientists warn the population could surge to between 500 and 1,000 animals within the next decade.

Conservationists balk at this plan, but efforts to have the hippos adopted by other zoos have not been successful.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 12:59 PM.